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For many women, premenstrual syndrome makes itself felt in a very unpleasant way. Numerous somatic ailments appear, the mood decreases, irritability and apathy appear. The symptoms vary greatly from woman to woman and can also change over the years. The most common symptom is headache – usually hormonally conditioned. Is a pre-period headache different from other headaches? How to deal with it? What is an effective antidote for premenstrual headache?
What happens to a woman’s body before her period?
The concept of premenstrual syndrome is widely known. From a medical point of view, this condition is described as a series of mental and somatic symptoms that occur in the second phase of the menstrual cycle – usually a few days before the period and disappear during it. In most cases, they are mild, although it sometimes happens that a set of symptoms is so strongly felt by a woman that it disturbs her functioning, making it difficult to carry out everyday activities. The most common somatic symptoms are headaches, irritability in the breast area, bloating, problems in the digestive system. In turn, in relation to mental symptoms – there are mood swings, tension, depressive thinking, problems with insomnia.
Headaches before menstruation
A lot of women complain about accompanying them headache before period of a migraine nature, which occur paroxysmally and are characterized by pulsating pounding felt on one side of the head. In addition, sometimes there is also hypersensitivity to the sense of smell and sound. It differs from migraine pain in that there are no symptoms such as lights, spots or sensory disturbances.
What are the causes of headache before menstruation?
Here, unfortunately, medicine does not give clear answers. It is assumed that for headache during menstruation facing hormonal imbalance. Most probably headaches associated with a decrease in estrogen levels. Genetics are often linked to premenstrual syndrome. There is a high probability that the typical symptoms will occur in a given woman if her mother had these symptoms. In addition, it is assumed that obese and physically inactive people more often struggle with headaches characteristic of PMS.
How do you deal with a recurring headache?
Headache treatment before and during your period is all about treating this symptom. Usually, this ailment is a natural phenomenon that accompanies the menstrual cycle. In this case, women are advised to take care to make changes in their lifestyle. A change in diet, avoiding situations that cause tension, searching for and discerning relaxation techniques have a beneficial effect. It is important to give up stimulants at the same time – stop smoking, drinking alcohol, and limit the consumption of caffeine as much as possible. In addition, it is recommended to enrich the diet with larger amounts of carbohydrates and consume supplements containing magnesium. If episodes related to headache during menstruation they are constantly repeated, they can also be associated with emotional and mental problems – then it will be advisable to consult a specific case with a therapist.
Safe medications during your period
Very often, however, it happens that it is necessary to reach for pharmacological help. In this case, drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – naproxen, ibuprofen – will be beneficial, which in turn are not recommended to be taken too often. If the symptoms are persistent and long-lasting, then inhibitors are used. The final solution in this case is hormone therapy or treatment with contraception – these methods stabilize fluctuations in estrogen levels.